Multicultural challenges and transnational communication in national nursing homes

by Anne Leonora Blaakilde

With a focus on the end of the life course, this project represents a study of the challenges entailed to elderly, frail immigrants in need of care in a welfare state context of provisions of public or quasi-public help. The study involves a critical as well as a practical dimension. The presence of a multicultural aspect in rather homogeneous, national contexts of care practises can resemble a ”trickster”, revealing tacit assumptions of ”good care”, ”a correct old age” or normative assumptions of family life and intergenerational relations. The intention with the project is to establish a comparative study involving several European countries in order to study such challenges and also to learn about best practices of multicultural care in different welfare state contexts. A specific focus will be devoted to possibilities of technological device in order to transgress problems of transnational communication, essential for enabling a satisfactory relation and care.